3.26.2008

So I guess with a new addition to the family, some changes to the family abode must be made. With everything under the stars (and more) available to choose from...how do you choose? To be honest, I don't know how I chose. Actually, yes I do know...Mark vetoed my first choice in colours.

Anyway, so with the colours chosen, how do you pick everything else? Bedding, furniture, all important accessories... there are so many possibilities!! It's not like the kid is going to care though right? They won't even have a clue. It's all about the parents.

I decided against my original plan for a child's room...mainly due to the time it would require to get it done and also, I want the child to be old enough to appreciate the coolness of their room.

Now here we are with plan 2...not so much of a plan, but what we ended up with. Funny how you can have one thing in mind and then end up with something completely different. We always said we'd go with dark wood for the furniture (we have white), and I didn't want a totally girly room (there is no way Mark would ever let a boy live in this room).

So without further ado, I present the Smith's Extreme Home Makeover (sorry no before pictures! But it's easy to imagine - grey walls).

Enjoy.

Thanks Mark and Dad for painting the walls, and a huge THANK YOU! to my Mom for helping me paint all of the polka dots and all of the sewing for the cribbing.

Anyone have any ideas on cool room decor that is not Disney or cartoon characters?

3.18.2008

I keep hearing ads on the radio for this, either on US radio, or on Canadian radio at work...either way, apparently somewhere the McRib is back BUT only for a limited time.

Who eats this?

Is anyone else scared by the McRib? Why does it look like there are bones in it? Edible bones? Needless to say I will not be participating in this limited time event - I've gotten through this pregnancy vomit free and I don't plan to change that anytime soon!

3.14.2008

$40,000 is a lot of money...even for those who are deemed "rich" or a "celebrity", right? So it's probably a lot more to the avergae joe then. Would you shell out that much to win a date (can you call it a date if you pay the person to go out with you?) with Scarlett Johansson? Or anyone for that matter? What if all of the money went to charity (his winning bid will go to benefit Oxfam America)? Do you have a charity that is worth pimping yourself out to?

This is the "dream date" the guy won: "The winner, who is from the U.K., and a guest will be ferried to the glittering event (premiere of her He's Just Not That Into You movie - seems appropriate for the date) in a chauffeur-driven limousine to join the star on the red carpet. After the screening, Johansson will hand her date a personal handwritten note."Maybe the Brit who won the bid thinks he and Scarlett will hit it off and she'll leave Ryan Reynolds and run right into his arms. Probably not though.

Makes me think...is there anyone I would pay $40,000 to go out with on a completely platonic date? If it was anyone, dead or alive: Michael Hutchence would definitely top the list.If I had to keep it to alive only... Kenneth Branagh

Paul Walker to satisfy the "eye candy" factor - only to discover the true thespian within

Just so I don't choose solely from the world of actors... Adam Levine

And to satisfy my teenage crushes: Corey Haim - original Lost Boy (I'm pretty sure I had this poster on my wall)and Kirk Cameron of course (totally had this poster too!)And my charity would by the Best Friends Sanctuary in Southern Utah.

Who would you pay (if you had endless amounts of money, or a scary obsessive one-sided celebrity crush) to go on a "date" with? And who would you donate the money to?

3.04.2008

So what do you do after a long, cold, windy winter (that apparently still isn't over)? Well, if you're Mark...you snap about 2 weeks ago and make life very difficult with the constant cursing and muttering. If you're Melanie...you grin and bare it - I grew up in a colder place, so it could always be worse, right?The one thing I have noticed during our first winter in Minnesota (and this goes for all cities I have ever lived in), is that EVERYone talks about the weather. It's like your own real life, real time weather channel. You don't need to turn on your TV, just poke your head outside and the first person you see will shout something about the weather at you. "Cold enough for ya?" is my favourite. Or the "Can you believe how cold it is?" Yes actually I can, we live in MINNESOTA. Apparently no one bothered to inform these people that Minnesota is not located adjacent to Florida, California or Hawaii (how rude!). I can completely understand someone's shock over the weather if they have just relocated to MN from one of the previous listed warm states. I would probably remark at the temperatures too. However, most of the people complaining about the weather are either native Minnesotans or people who have lived here for years and years. I don't get it. Minnestoa + winter = cold (beyond cold to many). Maybe they don't teach geography in school here, so that's why they don't understand the utter chilliness of Minnesota winters?? We've had plenty of nights of single digits plus windchills, and mornings of minus 5 plus the windchill...it's just winter folks, put on your toque (hat) and mitts when you go out. Seems kind of obvious to me. But as I said, where I grew up, it was routinely -40 or less with the windchill, so maybe I am just a heartier breed than others. I'm not one to say I love the -40 degree weather, but yes, I am the crazy one who would rather suffer through it than suffer through 100 degrees plus humidity. Like I always say, when it's cold, I can put more clothes on...when it is that hot, I could run around naked and still sweat profusely. I would rather shudder than boil.Minnesota winters just make you appreciate Minnesota summers a lot more, because they are really fantastic. Not scorching hot, not completely soaked with humidity, and the evenings cool down. Perfect.So to answer the first question....what do you do after a long, cold, windy winter?? Most people head south for surf, sun, sand and fun. Us? We're going to NYC! Hey 45 degrees is a heatwave next to the -2 with windchill we woke up to this morning!Wild Ginger, Black & White cookies and Century 21 (when did they get an actual website?? Love it!!) - here we come!!